Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method for storage management in a hierarchical set of file systems, the method comprising: creating a structure for the hierarchical set of file systems including a top-file system and sub-file systems that each include files and directories; tracking directories for sub-file systems of the hierarchical set of file systems; receiving a request to create an additional directory; creating, based on applying a directory creation policy, the additional directory in a sub-file system of the hierarchical set of file systems while providing that each directory resides in only one sub-file system; and upon a request by a particular sub-file system for more inodes without any inodes available, revoking inode numbers from at least one other sub-file system having unused inodes; wherein failure in one sub-file system has no affect on other sub-file systems in the hierarchical set of file systems, and each directory in the sub-file systems is named using an inode number of a directory.
This invention relates to storage management in hierarchical file systems, addressing the challenge of efficiently organizing and managing directories and inodes across multiple interconnected file systems while ensuring fault isolation. The system creates a hierarchical structure with a top-level file system and multiple sub-file systems, each containing files and directories. Directories are tracked to ensure they reside in only one sub-file system, preventing conflicts. A directory creation policy governs where new directories are placed. When a sub-file system runs out of inodes, the system reclaims unused inodes from other sub-file systems to maintain availability. Each directory is uniquely identified by its inode number, ensuring consistent naming. The design ensures that failures in one sub-file system do not affect others, maintaining system stability. This approach optimizes storage management by dynamically allocating resources while preserving isolation between sub-file systems.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein: applying the directory creation policy comprises: selecting a sub-file system with the largest available space upon determining that the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-file system; and a namespace in the top file system and pointers to each of the multiple sub-file systems include a name of a directory in a sub-file system that is its inode number in the top file system portion.
A distributed file system manages directories and sub-file systems to optimize storage allocation and namespace management. The system addresses inefficiencies in directory creation and namespace resolution by dynamically selecting storage locations based on available space and maintaining consistent directory references across multiple sub-file systems. When creating a new directory as a parent directory in the top-level file system, the system selects the sub-file system with the largest available storage space to ensure balanced resource utilization. This prevents fragmentation and improves performance by distributing directory structures across sub-file systems based on capacity. The file system also maintains a unified namespace by storing directory names as inode numbers within the top-level file system. Each sub-file system contains pointers to directories, where the directory name in the top-level namespace corresponds to its inode number in the respective sub-file system. This approach simplifies cross-sub-file system directory references, ensuring seamless access and consistency. The method enhances scalability and efficiency in distributed storage environments by dynamically allocating directories to optimal sub-file systems while preserving a coherent namespace structure. This reduces overhead in directory management and improves overall system performance.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the directory creation policy comprises: selecting a sub-file system having available space at least as large as an estimated size requirement for the additional directory upon determining that the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-file system.
A method for managing directory creation in a file system addresses the challenge of efficiently allocating storage space for new directories, particularly in hierarchical file systems where parent directories must be created before child directories. The method involves applying a directory creation policy that ensures sufficient storage space is available before creating a new directory. When the new directory is a parent directory in the top-level file system, the method selects a sub-file system with available space at least as large as the estimated size requirement for the additional directory. This ensures that the parent directory can be created without exceeding storage capacity, maintaining system stability and performance. The method may also involve estimating the size requirement for the directory based on factors such as expected file sizes, metadata overhead, and future growth projections. By dynamically selecting an appropriate sub-file system, the method optimizes storage allocation and prevents potential errors or performance degradation due to insufficient space. This approach is particularly useful in large-scale file systems where manual management of directory creation is impractical.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the directory creation policy comprises: selecting, in a round-robin fashion, a sub-file system having available space for the additional directory upon determining that the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-file system.
This invention relates to file system management, specifically optimizing directory creation in a distributed or hierarchical file system to ensure balanced storage utilization. The problem addressed is inefficient directory placement, which can lead to uneven storage distribution, performance bottlenecks, and wasted space in a file system with multiple sub-file systems. The method involves applying a directory creation policy to determine where new directories should be placed within a top-level file system that contains multiple sub-file systems. When a new directory is created as a parent directory in the top-level file system, the method selects a sub-file system with available space in a round-robin fashion. This ensures that directory creation is distributed evenly across sub-file systems, preventing any single sub-file system from becoming overloaded while others remain underutilized. The round-robin selection process cycles through available sub-file systems in a sequential order, ensuring fair distribution of storage resources. This approach improves file system efficiency by balancing directory placement, reducing fragmentation, and maintaining optimal performance across the entire storage system. The method is particularly useful in large-scale or distributed file systems where multiple sub-file systems are managed under a single top-level hierarchy.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the directory creation policy comprises: selecting a sub-file system containing a parent directory of the child directory upon determining that the additional directory is a child directory.
This invention relates to file system management, specifically optimizing directory creation in hierarchical storage systems. The problem addressed is inefficient directory placement, which can lead to performance bottlenecks and unbalanced storage utilization. The solution involves dynamically applying directory creation policies to ensure directories are placed in optimal locations within the file system hierarchy. The method selects a sub-file system containing a parent directory when creating a child directory. This ensures the new directory is logically grouped with its parent, maintaining hierarchical relationships while improving access efficiency. The policy considers factors such as storage capacity, performance metrics, and existing directory structures to determine the best placement. By intelligently routing directory creation requests, the system avoids fragmentation and reduces latency in file operations. The approach is particularly useful in distributed or multi-tiered storage environments where directory placement impacts overall system performance. The invention enhances file system organization, scalability, and operational efficiency by automating directory placement decisions based on predefined policies.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein tracking comprises: for each directory in a sub-file system: maintaining a corresponding directory in a top-file system; and maintaining a symbolic pointer in the corresponding directory which points from the corresponding directory to the sub-file system where the tracked directory resides.
A method for managing file system directories involves tracking directories within a sub-file system by maintaining corresponding directories in a top-file system. For each directory in the sub-file system, a corresponding directory is created in the top-file system. Additionally, a symbolic pointer is maintained within the corresponding directory, which directs from the top-file system directory to the original directory in the sub-file system. This approach allows for seamless access to directories across different file systems while preserving the hierarchical structure. The method ensures that changes or operations performed in the top-file system are reflected in the sub-file system, enabling efficient directory management and cross-file system navigation. The symbolic pointers facilitate quick redirection and maintain consistency between the top and sub-file systems, addressing challenges related to directory tracking and access in distributed or multi-file system environments.
7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: creating a corresponding directory in the top-file system; creating a symbolic pointer in the corresponding directory in the top-file system which points from the corresponding directory to the particular sub-file system containing the additional directory; and parallelizing file system operations by issuing the file system operations on any number of sub-file systems simultaneously.
A method for managing and optimizing file system operations in a distributed or hierarchical storage environment involves organizing data across multiple sub-file systems while maintaining a unified top-level file system. The method addresses inefficiencies in traditional file systems where operations are serialized or bottlenecked by a single hierarchical structure. By creating a corresponding directory in the top-level file system for each sub-file system, the method ensures that users or applications interact with a single, logical directory structure. Within each corresponding directory, a symbolic pointer is established, linking it to the specific sub-file system where the actual data resides. This allows the top-level file system to act as a unified interface while delegating storage and retrieval operations to the appropriate sub-file systems. The method further enhances performance by parallelizing file system operations across multiple sub-file systems, enabling simultaneous read/write operations on different sub-file systems. This approach improves scalability, reduces latency, and optimizes resource utilization in large-scale storage systems. The technique is particularly useful in distributed computing, cloud storage, and high-performance computing environments where efficient data management is critical.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein directories are stored at a root for the sub-file systems.
A system and method for organizing and managing file systems involves storing directories at a root level for multiple sub-file systems. This approach improves file system organization by centralizing directory structures, allowing for efficient access and management of files across different sub-file systems. The method ensures that directories are stored in a root location, which serves as a common reference point for all sub-file systems. This centralization simplifies navigation, reduces redundancy, and enhances performance by minimizing the need to traverse multiple hierarchical levels. The system may also include mechanisms for dynamically updating directory structures, ensuring consistency and scalability as new files or sub-file systems are added. By storing directories at the root, the method provides a unified and streamlined approach to file management, making it easier to locate and retrieve files while maintaining system efficiency. This solution addresses challenges in traditional file systems where directories are distributed across different levels, leading to inefficiencies in access and management. The method is particularly useful in environments requiring high-performance file operations, such as enterprise storage systems or cloud-based file management platforms.
9. A computer program product for storage management in a hierarchical set of file systems, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to: create, by the processor, a structure for the hierarchical set of file systems including a top-file system and sub-file systems that each include files and directories; track, by the processor, directories for sub-file systems of the hierarchical set of file systems; receive, by the processor, a request to create an additional directory; create, based on applying a directory creation policy by the processor, the additional directory in a sub-file system of the hierarchical set of file systems while providing that each directory resides in only one sub-file system; and upon a request by a particular sub-file system for more inodes without any inodes available, revoke, by the processor, inode numbers from at least one other sub-file system having unused inodes; wherein failure in one sub-file system has no affect on other sub-file systems in the hierarchical set of file systems, and each directory in the sub-file systems is named using an inode number of a directory.
This invention relates to storage management in hierarchical file systems, addressing the challenge of efficiently organizing and managing directories and inodes across multiple sub-file systems while ensuring isolation and fault tolerance. The system creates a hierarchical structure with a top-level file system and multiple sub-file systems, each containing files and directories. It tracks directories within these sub-file systems and enforces a policy to ensure each directory resides in only one sub-file system, preventing conflicts and maintaining consistency. When a request to create a new directory is received, the system applies a directory creation policy to determine the appropriate sub-file system for placement. Directories are uniquely identified using inode numbers, ensuring no duplication or ambiguity. If a sub-file system exhausts its available inodes, the system revokes unused inodes from other sub-file systems to fulfill the request, dynamically reallocating resources as needed. The design ensures that failures in one sub-file system do not affect others, providing fault isolation. This approach improves storage efficiency, scalability, and reliability in hierarchical file system environments by dynamically managing inodes and enforcing strict directory placement rules.
10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein: applying the directory creation policy further comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: select, by the processor, a sub-file system with the largest available space upon determining that the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-file system; and a namespace in the top file system and pointers to each of the multiple sub-file systems include a name of a directory in a sub-file system that is its inode number in the top file system portion.
This invention relates to file system management in computing systems, specifically addressing the challenge of efficiently organizing and accessing directories across multiple sub-file systems within a top-level file system. The solution involves a computer program product that implements a directory creation policy to optimize storage allocation and directory naming conventions. When creating a new directory, the system selects a sub-file system with the largest available space if the new directory is a parent directory in the top file system. This ensures that storage is allocated efficiently across sub-file systems. Additionally, the naming convention for directories in the top file system includes the inode number of the directory in the corresponding sub-file system, allowing seamless integration and reference between the top file system and its sub-file systems. This approach enhances performance by reducing fragmentation and simplifying directory management across distributed storage environments. The system dynamically adjusts directory placement based on available space, ensuring optimal resource utilization while maintaining consistent naming and access patterns.
11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein applying the directory creation policy further comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: select, by the processor, a sub-file system having available space at least as large as an estimated size requirement for the additional directory upon determining that the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-file system.
This invention relates to file system management in computing systems, specifically addressing the challenge of efficiently creating directories within a hierarchical file system structure. The technology focuses on optimizing directory creation by dynamically selecting appropriate sub-file systems based on available storage capacity and directory hierarchy requirements. The system includes a directory creation policy that evaluates whether an additional directory is a parent directory in the top-level file system. When this condition is met, the policy selects a sub-file system with sufficient available space to accommodate the estimated size of the new directory. This ensures that parent directories are placed in sub-file systems with adequate capacity, preventing storage constraints from disrupting directory hierarchy organization. The solution involves program instructions executed by a processor to implement this policy. The system first determines if the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-level file system. If confirmed, it then identifies a sub-file system with available space at least as large as the estimated size requirement for the new directory. This approach enhances file system efficiency by dynamically allocating storage resources based on directory hierarchy and size requirements, reducing the risk of storage fragmentation and improving system performance. The invention is particularly useful in large-scale computing environments where file system organization and storage management are critical.
12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein applying the directory creation policy further comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: select, by the processor, in a round-robin fashion, a sub-file system having available space for the additional directory upon determining that the additional directory is a parent directory in the top-file system.
This invention relates to file system management in computer systems, specifically addressing the challenge of efficiently organizing and storing directories within a hierarchical file system structure. The technology provides a method for applying a directory creation policy to ensure optimal distribution of directories across available storage space, particularly when creating parent directories in a top-level file system. The system includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to implement a directory creation policy. When a new directory is to be created, the system first determines whether the directory is a parent directory in the top-level file system. If so, the system selects a sub-file system with available space in a round-robin fashion to store the new directory. This ensures that directories are evenly distributed across multiple sub-file systems, preventing any single sub-file system from becoming overloaded while others remain underutilized. The round-robin selection method cycles through available sub-file systems in sequence, promoting balanced storage allocation. The invention also includes a computer program product with instructions for executing this directory creation policy, ensuring that the file system remains organized and efficient as new directories are added. This approach is particularly useful in large-scale storage systems where multiple sub-file systems are managed under a single top-level file system.
13. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein applying the directory creation policy further comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: select, by the processor, a sub-file system containing a parent directory of the child directory upon determining that the additional directory is a child directory.
This invention relates to computer file system management, specifically optimizing directory creation within a file system. The problem addressed is inefficient directory creation processes that can lead to performance bottlenecks, particularly when dealing with nested directory structures. The solution involves a computer program product that applies a directory creation policy to streamline the process of creating directories, especially when dealing with child directories that must be nested under parent directories. The program includes instructions for a processor to select a sub-file system containing a parent directory of a child directory when it is determined that the additional directory is a child directory. This ensures that the child directory is created within the correct sub-file system, maintaining proper hierarchical organization. The directory creation policy may also include additional steps such as validating directory names, checking for existing directories, and ensuring compliance with file system rules. The system dynamically adjusts directory creation based on the file system structure, improving efficiency and reducing errors in directory management. This approach is particularly useful in large-scale file systems where manual management would be impractical.
14. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: create, by the processor, a corresponding directory in the top-file system; create, by the processor, a symbolic pointer in the corresponding directory in the top-file system which points from the corresponding directory to the particular sub-file system containing the additional directory; and parallelize, by the processor, file system operations by issuing the file system operations on any number of sub-file systems simultaneously.
This invention relates to a computer program product for managing file systems in a distributed or parallel computing environment. The problem addressed is the inefficiency of file system operations in systems with multiple sub-file systems, where operations are often serialized or require complex coordination. The invention provides a solution by enabling parallel file system operations across multiple sub-file systems while maintaining a unified directory structure. The computer program product includes instructions to create a corresponding directory in a top-level file system. Within this directory, a symbolic pointer is generated, which links the directory to a specific sub-file system containing an additional directory. This symbolic pointer allows the top-level file system to reference and access the sub-file system seamlessly. The program further parallelizes file system operations by issuing these operations simultaneously across any number of sub-file systems, improving performance and reducing latency. The system ensures that operations such as read, write, or directory traversal can be executed in parallel, leveraging the distributed nature of the sub-file systems. This approach enhances scalability and efficiency in large-scale storage environments.
15. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: maintain, by the processor, a corresponding directory in a top-file system; and maintain, by the processor, a symbolic pointer in the corresponding directory which points from the corresponding directory to the sub-file system where the tracked directory resides.
This invention relates to file system management in computing environments, specifically addressing the challenge of efficiently tracking and accessing directories across multiple file systems. The system involves a method for managing directory structures where a directory in a primary file system (top-file system) is linked to a directory in a secondary file system (sub-file system) using a symbolic pointer. The symbolic pointer acts as a reference, allowing seamless access to the directory in the sub-file system from the top-file system without requiring physical relocation of the directory. This approach simplifies directory management by maintaining a centralized directory structure while preserving the logical organization of files across different storage systems. The invention ensures that users and applications can navigate directories transparently, regardless of their physical location, improving efficiency in file system operations. The symbolic pointer mechanism also supports dynamic updates, allowing the system to adapt to changes in directory locations without disrupting access. This solution is particularly useful in distributed storage environments where directories may span multiple file systems, enhancing usability and reducing complexity in file management.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein directories are stored at a root for the sub-file systems.
A system and method for managing file storage in a distributed computing environment addresses the challenge of efficiently organizing and accessing files across multiple sub-file systems. The invention provides a hierarchical directory structure where directories are stored at a root level for each sub-file system, enabling centralized management of file locations. This approach simplifies navigation and retrieval by consolidating directory information in a single, accessible location, reducing the complexity of traversing distributed storage systems. The system ensures that directories are consistently stored at the root, allowing for streamlined file operations and improved performance in distributed environments. By centralizing directory storage, the invention minimizes latency and enhances scalability, making it particularly useful in large-scale data management scenarios where multiple sub-file systems are involved. The solution also supports efficient metadata handling, as directory information is readily available at the root level, facilitating faster file searches and updates. This structured approach ensures that files are logically organized, improving overall system efficiency and user experience in distributed storage architectures.
17. An apparatus comprising: a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors executing the instructions to: create a structure for a hierarchical set of file systems including a top-file system and sub-file systems that each include files and directories; track directories for sub-file systems of the hierarchical set of file systems; receive a request to create an additional directory; create, based on applying a directory creation policy, the additional directory in a sub-file system of the hierarchical set of file systems while providing that each directory resides in only one sub-file system; and upon a request by a particular sub-file system for more inodes without any inodes available, revoke inode numbers from at least one other sub-file system having unused inodes; wherein failure in one sub-file system has no affect on other sub-file systems in the hierarchical set of file systems, and each directory in the sub-file systems is named using an inode number of a directory.
This invention relates to a hierarchical file system management system designed to improve scalability and fault isolation in distributed storage environments. The system addresses the challenge of managing large-scale file systems where directories and files are organized in a hierarchical structure, ensuring efficient resource allocation and minimizing the impact of failures in one subsystem on others. The apparatus includes a memory and one or more processors that execute instructions to create a hierarchical file system structure comprising a top-level file system and multiple sub-file systems, each containing files and directories. The system tracks directories across these sub-file systems and enforces a directory creation policy to ensure that each directory resides in only one sub-file system. When a request to create a new directory is received, the system applies this policy to determine the appropriate sub-file system for placement. The system also manages inode allocation dynamically. If a sub-file system exhausts its available inodes, the system revokes inode numbers from another sub-file system that has unused inodes, redistributing resources as needed. This mechanism ensures that inode shortages in one sub-file system do not disrupt others. Additionally, the system ensures fault isolation, so a failure in one sub-file system does not affect the others. Each directory is uniquely identified by its inode number, maintaining consistency and traceability within the hierarchical structure. This approach enhances scalability and reliability in large-scale storage environments.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors further execute instructions to: create a corresponding directory in the top-file system; create a symbolic pointer in the corresponding directory in the top-file system which points from the corresponding directory to the particular sub-file system containing the additional directory; and parallelize file system operations by issuing the file system operations on any number of sub-file systems simultaneously; wherein applying the directory creation policy comprises: selecting a sub-file system containing a parent directory of the child directory upon determining that the additional directory is a child directory.
This invention relates to a distributed file system architecture designed to improve performance and scalability by parallelizing file operations across multiple sub-file systems. The problem addressed is the inefficiency of traditional file systems in handling large-scale data storage and retrieval, particularly when operations must be serialized across a single namespace. The apparatus includes one or more processors that manage a hierarchical file system structure comprising a top-file system and multiple sub-file systems. When a new directory is created, the system determines whether it is a child directory of an existing directory. If so, the system selects the sub-file system containing the parent directory to store the child directory. A corresponding directory is then created in the top-file system, and a symbolic pointer is established in this directory, linking it to the sub-file system where the actual directory resides. This allows file operations to be distributed across sub-file systems, enabling parallel execution of operations on any number of sub-file systems simultaneously. The approach optimizes performance by reducing bottlenecks associated with centralized directory management while maintaining a unified namespace for users.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein directories are stored at a root for the sub-file systems, and a namespace in the top file system and pointers to each of the multiple sub-file systems include a name of a directory in a sub-file system that is its inode number in the top file system portion.
This invention relates to a file system architecture designed to improve data organization and access efficiency in computing systems. The problem addressed is the complexity and inefficiency of managing large-scale file systems, particularly when dealing with multiple sub-file systems that need to be integrated into a unified namespace. The apparatus includes a hierarchical file system structure where directories are stored at a root level for multiple sub-file systems. A top-level file system provides a unified namespace that allows users and applications to access files across different sub-file systems seamlessly. Pointers within this top-level file system include references to directories in the sub-file systems, where the directory name corresponds to the inode number of the directory in the top-level file system. This mapping enables efficient cross-referencing and access control between the top-level and sub-file systems. The sub-file systems are managed independently, allowing for scalability and modularity, while the top-level file system ensures a consistent and unified view of the entire storage structure. This design simplifies file management, reduces redundancy, and enhances performance by optimizing directory traversal and file access operations. The use of inode numbers as directory names in the top-level file system ensures unique identification and efficient lookup, improving overall system reliability and usability.
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March 3, 2020
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